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Active Directory is a cornerstone of IT systems, handling user authentication, permissions, and access to resources. Its importance makes it a main target for attackers trying to get unauthorized access, escalate privileges, or cause disruptions. The MITRE ATT&CK framework, a comprehensive knowledge base of adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), serves as a valuable tool to identify, prevent, and respond to such threats in your AD environment.
Companies can strengthen their Active Directory security by using the insights from the MITRE ATT&CK framework along with advanced tools like Fidelis Active Directory Intercept™. This tool can detect and mitigate attacker methods before they impact critical systems.
The MITRE ATT&CK framework categorizes and documents TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures) used by adversaries at various stages of an attack. It provides a structured approach to understanding adversarial behaviors, mapping these into a hierarchy of tactics (the “why”), techniques (the “how”), and sub-techniques.
As illustrated in the pyramid diagram, the framework highlights different attack components from easily identifiable indicators like hash values and IP addresses to more complex elements such as network artifacts, tools, and advanced TTPs.
For Active Directory, the MITRE ATT&CK framework is particularly valuable because it aligns seamlessly with the ways attackers exploit identity and access systems. Security teams can leverage these insights to anticipate potential attack vectors, refine monitoring strategies, and enhance incident response efforts.
With solutions like Fidelis Active Directory Intercept™, these techniques are mapped to real-time monitoring and actionable response strategies, ensuring a stronger defense against AD attacks.
Using the MITRE ATT&CK framework in your Active Directory environment is more than just understanding attack techniques. It consists of a systematic way to check for risks, set up defenses, and create measures to stop attackers. Here’s a detailed breakdown on how to use the MITRE ATT&CK framework in your AD security plan.
Before setting up defenses, you need to fully understand your Active Directory environment. This means finding important assets, assessing current security steps, and seeing where problems might be.
Map Out Your AD Environment: Make a detailed list of domain controllers, user accounts, group policies, and privileged accounts. Focus on old systems, service accounts, and accounts with extra permissions.
Identify Critical Dependencies: See how AD interacts with other systems and apps, especially those that use it for authentication and access.
Evaluate Current Security Measures: Assess existing configurations for password policies, access controls, and account permissions. Look for misconfigurations, like too many people having access or outdated user accounts.
Key Deliverables:
Many modern security tools, like Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions, come with built-in integrations to the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Using these tools helps you detect, analyze, and respond to AD threats.
Integrate MITRE ATT&CK Mappings: Pick tools that map detected events to specific ATT&CK tactics and techniques, giving you more information about the detected threats.
Enable Logging for AD Activities: Make sure logging is turned on for important AD events, like logins, modifications to accounts, group modifications, and policy updates.
Set Up Alerts for High-Risk Activities: Create alerts for actions that seem suspicious and match ATT&CK techniques, such as multiple failed login attempts, unusual requests for Kerberos tickets, or lateral movement patterns.
Key Deliverables:
See how to see, detect, and defend against AD threats seamlessly.
Detection rules are the basis for finding and mitigating possible attacks on your AD system. By paying attention to high-risk ATT&CK techniques, you can improve your monitoring and response actions.
Identify High-Priority ATT&CK Techniques: Look at techniques often used to attack AD, like stealing credentials, pass-the-hash attacks, and gaining more privileges.
Create Baselines: Establish a normal pattern for things like user logins, group policy changes, and account actions. Use these patterns as a baseline to spot anything unusual.
Make Custom Rules: Write detection rules that fit your system. For example:
Key Deliverables:
Threat hunting involves actively looking for signs of harmful actions in your Active Directory (AD) environment. The MITRE ATT&CK framework provides a structured approach to guide these efforts.
Start with High-Impact Areas: Investigate common ways attackers get in, like stealing credentials or lateral movement, and check high-value systems like domain controllers.
Leverage Threat Information: Take advantage of ATT&CK’s information to identify techniques used by active threats that target AD environments.
Check for Unusual Activities: Watch for signs of compromise, such as unusual login times, new accounts being created without reason, or attempts to access system from unknown IP addresses.
Key Deliverables:
Proactive defenses are important to lower the chances of being attacked and to make it harder for attackers to succeed. These defenses should address vulnerabilities and add multiple layers of security for your AD environment.
Strengthen AD Configurations:
Control Access: Use the principle of least privilege.
Add Extra Security:
Key Deliverables:
Even the best tools and defenses won’t work if the people using them aren’t skilled. Training your team to understand and use the MITRE ATT&CK framework is crucial for long-term success.
Provide Framework Training: Hold workshops or training sessions to teach your team about MITRE ATT&CK tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
Simulate Attack Scenarios: Use exercises and tests to simulate real-world attacks on your environment. This helps your team learn how to detect and respond to threats.
Encourage Continuous Learning: Make sure your team stays updated about new ATT&CK techniques and emerging threats that target AD.
Key Deliverables:
Cyber threats are always evolving, and so should your defenses. Review your security posture regularly to make sure it can handle new and emerging attacks.
Conduct Regular Assessments: Use tools to find vulnerabilities and test how good your AD security controls are.
Update Detection Rules: Refine detection rules based on what you learned from incidents or threat-hunting exercises.
Leverage ATT&CK Updates: Look at the latest updates from the ATT&CK framework and add new strategies to protect yourself.
Key Deliverables:
The MITRE ATT&CK framework is not just a guide to understand how attackers work—it’s a strong tool that gives actionable insights and strategies to improve Active Directory security. When applied effectively, it enhances security in several ways. Here’s a detailed exploration of the benefits:
The MITRE ATT&CK framework helps organizations learn about the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) attackers use.
With all this your organization becomes better at recognizing the risks to AD environment and can use resources wisely to reduce the risks.
Using ATT&CK can help you better detect and respond to unusual actions in your AD environment.
You can catch attacks sooner, cutting down the time attackers have to achieve their goals.
When an attack happens, the MITRE ATT&CK framework helps us understand and deal with the threat in a clear way.
Dealing with incidents becomes quicker, more effective, and better planned, which lowers the potential impact of breaches.
ATT&CK encourages organizations to be proactive instead of reactive, focusing on making Active Directory more secure against possible attack paths.
Your AD environment becomes more resistant to attacks, with a reduced attack surface and stronger preventative measures.
Using MITRE ATT&CK helps organizations compare their AD defenses against industry best practices and peer organizations.
You feel more confident about your security methods and demonstrate your commitment to robust AD defenses to stakeholders.
Using the MITRE ATT&CK framework in Active Directory environment helps organizations protect themselves from attackers by mapping real-world attack techniques to tailored defenses. When paired with advanced tools like Fidelis Active Directory Intercept™, it becomes a strong approach for keeping Active Directory deployments safe from modern cyber threats. By incorporating this framework into your Active Directory defense plan, you make sure your organization has cutting-edge tools to anticipate, detect, and neutralize attacks before they escalate.
The MITRE ATT&CK framework is important as it offers:
Fidelis Active Directory Intercept™ maps the techniques attackers use directly to the MITRE ATT&CK strategies, helping organizations detect and respond to Active Directory threats in real time.
Common techniques include:
Fidelis Active Directory Intercept™ can help find and mitigate these attacks effectively.
See Fidelis in action. Learn how our fast and scalable platforms provide full visibility, deep insights, and rapid response to help security teams across the World protect, detect, respond, and neutralize advanced cyber adversaries.